


Goin' Co'Tin'

by LaMarwy



Series: The Ingricent Chronicles [4]
Category: Maleficent (Disney Movies)
Genre: Bickering, F/F, Flirting, Humor, Ingricent, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:40:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21971494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaMarwy/pseuds/LaMarwy
Summary: Ingrith gets bored. Maleficent takes the woman with her.
Relationships: Ingrith/Maleficent (Disney)
Series: The Ingricent Chronicles [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1537843
Comments: 18
Kudos: 72





	Goin' Co'Tin'

**Author's Note:**

> for any info/update: https://mementomori-demimonde.tumblr.com/

Title inspired by the Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' song "Going Courting" (aka Goin' Courtin' or Goin' Co'Tin) performed by Jane Powell in the 1954 movie.  
 _Goin' courtin', goin' courtin', oh it sees your senses in a whirl._

* * *

4\. GOIN’ CO’TIN’

It was strange how the mornings inside the castle, since she was a child, had always been terrible for her, with pompous gathering of maids and butlers with food and clothes, ready to open the windows and let the chilly air and the sun wake her rather ungraciously and she, a royal princess and then Queen, had to pretend to be happy about it; never once she’d yell a servant to just let her sleep a minute more, even if inside she would scream anything nasty that came to mind.

There in the Moors, everything was different. Even the mornings were pleasant: she would often wake up with the chirp of birds and when Maleficent hadn’t gone already, leaving a bowl of sweet berries on the table, Ingrith even found herself quite good with mixing the fruits of that magical land. The woman felt happy and funnily warm whenever she was able to serve breakfast to the fae, as it was her own little way to thank her and prove her good intentions.

Perhaps ruling had been fun, for a while, when she thought she was not good at anything else but hate and conquer and deceive, but now that she had hours to herself to think about the beautiful peace of that land, Ingrith had found herself enjoying that simple life more than anything else she’d ever know. It was like she’d been offered not only a second chance but a new life, the one that could make emerge her true self – the carefree, relaxed and hopeful self that had locked away for years. It was funny how her enemy had accomplished such a thing.

And as the days passed, Ingrith knew something new about the fae. She had imagined that there could be more, under the outer layer of coldness and pride she showed everybody, that behind her ethereal aura of the otherworldly creature could be a fascinating being with a passionate soul far more complex than Maleficent herself was aware of. It was almost as if the fae could feel everything amplified and because of the horrid men she’d encountered in the past, she had shut down everything inside a box and thrown away the key. Aurora had thawed her heart, but there was so much to discover, still – and it was a waste, a real waste, that Maleficent couldn't express her emotions to their fullness. How many wonders was she missing.

Was it arrogant to desire to be the one who could thaw her heart completely? She hadn’t planned for any of that, and yet there she was, in the Moors, with the fae who once had been her enemy, the one whom she killed, unsuccessfully, the same that now had welcomed to her home and Ingrith had taken care of in return when she needed it. Was it really that wrong to feel warm and unbelievably happy at the memory of the first time they’ve ever called that cottage _their_ home? Was it really that wrong to hope and seek for everlasting tranquillity in a place where they both felt they belong?

And was it so wrong, after the unpremeditated trip to the castle, to spend every minute with Maleficent? She couldn’t even believe how much had changed. Just a banal cold and they had turn back to the Moors with a new awareness.

Fondness worked in peculiar ways, sometimes, and it was made for the patients. Unluckily, she was most definitely not one. Because, yes, they had the whole time in the world – the rest of their lives to explore and try all the possibilities – but why wait?

Ingrith sighed, watching silently as the fae got ready for the day by securing the wrapping around her head and horns and ruffling her feathers like every morning; the woman could almost foresee her routine in her head as a reassuring image of stillness, something that would never change and that she had already learned by heart.

Stretching her wings, Maleficent walked pass by her, sending a small thread of smoke out of the window. It hit Diaval as he still slept on his tree outside and the bird cawed loudly before flying down, ruffling his own black feathers in annoyance.

Poor soul, why would he even let Maleficent treat him like an everlasting toy was beyond her.

Ingrith sighed, getting carried away by her own thoughts for a long minutes before the idea of spending the rest of the morning alone became simply unbearable. Not only she was curious about the things the fae would do whenever she was away, but also she felt a strange wave of jealousy at the thought of the raven being able to share those moments with her.

“Maleficent,” She cried out abruptly, her eyes still lost somewhere undefined. “could you turn me into a bird?”

The fae flinched and spun on her heels, tilting her head inquiringly to the side. “A bird?”

As if she’d just realized she’d been talking out loud, Ingrith cleared her throat, facing hesitantly Maleficent, her gaze evasive. “So I can come with you.” She mumbled. Feeling exposed, the woman closed her eyes and inhaled sharply; there was no use in denying the whole thing anymore. It would be better just to say her thing and let the fae decide her verdict. After all, the right time to get things moving even existed? She braced herself and hinted an innocent smile. “You stay away for hours to end, you know, and it gets awfully boring.”

Maleficent frowned, raising her eyebrows in surprise. Certainly, she had not seen that coming. “I can’t stop patrolling the Moors because you’re bored.”

“Precisely. That is why having a bird form is the easiest solution.” Replied Ingrith tensely. She was starting to feel unpleasantly warm. “You turned me into a stinky goat so I guess you can also turn me into a – I don’t know – an owl? Or a peacock perhaps?”

Maleficent sighed gravely, her lids dropping slowly as she inhaled in badly hidden vexation. “Peacocks don’t fly, Ingrith, they soar.” She explained. “Besides, the goat fitted you.”

The woman crossed her arms and gasped in horror. “I hope it doesn’t anymore.”

“No, not anymore.” Maleficent conceded.

“Good to know. What kind of animal do you think would fit me?” Ingirth insisted, watching the fae sideways and a smirk plastered on her face. Even if she strived to look offended, her smiling lips gave her away.

Maleficent, of course, couldn’t help but notice. “I’m not sure.” She mumbled vaguely, now more intrigued to find out the source of that coy smirk than to keep on that meaningless conversation. “What is it?” She finally inquired.

Ingrith remained still for a moment before throwing her a satisfied and extremely mischievous glance. “It’s the first time you call me with my name.”

Maleficent straightened her back immediately, lifting a few inches her wings she neatly kept tucked behind her back. She had the wide-eyed stare of a child caught in the middle of a nasty act, though she had really done nothing wrong.

And she had to admit that Maleficent pronouncing her name, with the last syllable forcing her tongue to meet her front teeth and those sharp fangs being in the way, was quite adorable, even if in a queer, unpredictable way.

Ingrith wondered what was the meaning of that new expression that was now plastered on her face: the fae seemed to be pensive, but that grin was hard to contextualize. Only seconds ago she was acting normally, as her old superior and stiff self to hide the embarrassment that was clearly blazing inside of her, but now – now it was just hard to tell.

Perhaps her unpredictable brain was brewing something.

“You don’t need wings to fly.” She said excitedly, after taking a small breath.

Ingrith studied her for a long moment; she’d been serious and Maleficent had waited patiently, eager to perform another of her jokes. The woman rolled her eyes and sighed, unquestionably livid. “Right,” She scoffed her voice wry, “I could just jump off a cliff and pray for you to have mercy and save me from hitting the ground and die.”

Maleficent pursed her lips and snarled playfully. “Oh, you humans are always so dramatic.” She lamented with a tease. So many things could’ve been spared if only men could control better their emotions, if they could master their inner instincts – but then again, who was she to give sentences away when she cursed a baby because of an insatiable thirst of revenge.

The woman humphed softly, feeling somewhat compelled to reply at that accusation and defend her kind, but also at short of argument to prove her wrong. And they, both of them, were perfect examples of the truthiness of the fae’s words. Fair folks, humans, there was no real difference with Maleficent, except for sometimes were her nature made her annoyingly mysterious. “And you’re always talking in riddles.” She pointed out, knitting her brow.

Maleficent sighed, tilting her head to the side. This time, her smile was softer. “I meant that you don’t need your own pair of wings to fly.”

  
  


Forcing herself to swallow down through her painfully dry throat, Ingrith shifted her weight from one foot to another, feeling already dizzy by standing on a rock that lifted her a couple of feet from the ground. Her gaze, however, was lost somewhere far distant on the horizon.

The woman shivered, already feeling the chilly air creeping under her skin and gripping her bones. “I don’t think this is a good idea.” She mumbled, her voice unbelievably squeaky.

Maleficent looked at her over her own shoulder, throwing a mischievous smirk at her. She spread her wings in one, swift movement and positioned herself right in front of Ingrith.

“Are you afraid?” She asked teasingly, clearly sensing her tension. It was almost ironic how she had climbed the highest mountain and the tallest tree only a few weeks ago, unsupervised, just to bring berries to her nest and now she was shivering in fright.

Ingrith didn’t reply. She slowly leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the fae’s shoulders, fingers gripping the leather straps that ran along the upper part of her torso, keeping the light dress in place. The woman swallowed again, uncomfortably queasy, at the feeling of her body touching the softness of those feathers.

She blinked, stubbornly silent as she tried not to reveal her already exposed agitation, when Maleficent effortlessly started to walk with the additional weight on her back and approached the edge of the cliff; rocks and dirt crumbled beneath her feet and dropped into the oblivion.

Feeling the moment of truth so terribly near, Ingrith intensified her hold. Were they really about to jump into the void or was it another joke of the fae, only eager to have fun with her?

“You’ve carried Aurora like this?” She asked, clearing her throat. Now that they were close, her heart was galloping and she was almost sure that Maleficent could feel it on pounding on her back.

“Several times since I got my wings back.” Replied the other confidently. “Why?”

Ingrith hated to admit so, but that girl had more guts than her – or less brain. Or both. Perhaps the young Queen was only more spontaneous and adventure-seeking than she could ever be.

“Because this is very unsafe.” She retorted, matter-of-factly.

Maleficent smirked, looking over her shoulder one more time. “Only if you let go.”

Ingrith hadn’t the time to reply, nor to think actually, because, in a matter of a split second, the fae leaned forward, wings spread and a peaceful smile upon her lips, and let drop herself down.

Ingrith shut her eyes down as her stomach constricted sorely, frightfully, unexpectedly and sealed her mouth to avoid releasing the screech that was building inside of her.

After what it felt like an eternity, Ingrith finally opened her eyes. Slowly, one at a time. She was glad that Maleficent hadn’t talked yet, leaving her time to process their current situation and get used to the knot in her stomach and short breath due to the air currents.

The fae was soaring lazily over the Moors and, for a moment, the woman thought she was dreaming: everything, from up above, looked even more breathtaking than usual. The little beings laughing and waving at them, the guards lifting their heads at their passage, the flying creatures, with their big, grey bodies, jumping and twirling beside them to play.

No wonder why Aurora loved that place so much. Flying with Maleficent and observing the magical world beneath her was almost life-changing. And how could she feel any different, now that the only thing she felt toward the fair folks was to protect them and supervise their home? She felt a painful pang in her stomach ad the idea of being their murderer. Ingrith only had to be extremely grateful to have been stopped and brought there – she had to be thankful because Maleficent had shown her the truth and was giving her so much more than she could ever dream. The same fae that had awakened a curios feeling within her that didn’t dare to name but that she was eager to relish.

“Are you alright?” Asked Maleficent all of a sudden, her voice fierce as she fought the headwind. There was no worry in those words, though, almost as if the fae was waiting for her to really enjoy the moment and, if so, maybe even enhancing the experience.

And if there was more to that beauty, Ingrith was most certainly willing to discover it. “It’s unbelievable.” She answered dreamily, after a quick nod.

“Then we’ll go higher.” The fae announced, implicitly suggesting the other to secure her already strong grip.

After a few instants, Maleficent tilted upward and, from lining with the ground, she swayed up, boosting their speed as they went up and up again.

Ingrith was under the impression that the fae was enjoying every second of it, in her playful, adventurous, passionate way and, to be honest, she found herself smiling in delight when she noticed everything looking smaller. The fair folks were only moving dots on a green blanket, the lake, and the river only blue spots on a colorful canvas and the Rowan tree and the cottage and the old castle similar to just toys.

Breathing in the cool air, Ingrith realized she wanted to be part of that world. She wanted to live among them, in peace and harmony, explore and know her true self, which had been hidden for so long inside of her, eat berries and cross the river only occasionally to return to the humans and wake every morning in the simple cottage that Maleficent had created for them, waiting for a new day to start, always the same as the one before and always different, in its reassuring, exciting way.

Canny, wise Aurora had known it all from the beginning. She had underestimated perhaps the most smart creature that had ever walked on the Ulstead territory.

She only needed to know another way of life to fall in love with it – one with no rules or duties or wars to make and Maleficent needed someone to take care of. And they were both strong, broken, missing a piece. Could they really complete each other?

Perhaps it was time to put into practice her royal knowledge. It was an art that had been taught to her many years ago by her mother and tutors but she had never had the chance to use it: marrying John had been out of necessity and not because of some courting either of them had performed.

This was her second chance, her second life she could re-live from the beginning. It was all in her hands, now. Maleficent was a protectress, Ingrith a tactician. Hence, it was up to her to make the first move. After all, now that her pride and old spite had long been forgotten since she was in the Moors, and the fear of being rejected relatively distant when the fae was so amenable in everything they did, the process would certainly be easier.

Yes, she could do that – courting Maleficent and win her heart – of course she could.

Tightening her hold on the leather straps that prevented her from falling down, Ingrith flattened herself against the fae’s back, breathing in the soothing sensation of her dark, soft feathers against her own skin. She could feel the muscles moving beneath her as Maleficent pushed their way up into the sky, her legs occasionally intertwining with hers as they lazily followed the invisible force of the winds.

Carefully, seeking even more closeness, the woman rested her chin over her own shoulder, and her face ended up dangerously near to Maleficent’s. With the corner of her eye, she could see the sharp edge of her cheekbone, the outline of her nose and the red of her lips, parted into a dreamy smile as she flew higher and higher. Ingrith wondered if she intended to touch the vault of the sky or she would stop, eventually, to muse down at the land.

The woman swallowed again, wondered if just staring at her could be of any help in a situation like that, where the fae was completely captured by the extent of the whiteness they were soaring through – and honestly, how could she even blame her, when her own heart was ravished at the sight and at the awareness that, for the moment, she was herself part of it?

Ingrith needed to talk, to make her presence and, most crucially, her intents known. And what better pretext to just give the fae what she needed the most, what brought out the best of her nature? Did Maleficent want a damsel in distress? She would give her the damsel in distress.

“It’s chilly up here.” She whispered, with a dim voice but loud enough so the fae could hear her. Of course, the mischievous smile that was now on her lips couldn’t play an important role, and yet Ingrith wondered how it had appeared so simply and spontaneously. Perhaps it was only natural, given the circumstances – given all the signs and the mysterious tension that had grown between them.

But then, a terrible realization hit her square in the chest: was a faerie even accustomed to such human practice? Would she even recognize an attempt to flirt, for as dull and basic that it could be?

She stood in wait, her heart suddenly pounding into her hears painfully and most certainly not due to the height.

Maleficent didn't even tilt her head, not faltered with her flight, almost as if her voice and her words had only been a distant echo. “Soon we’ll be out of the clouds and the sun will warm you.” She replied, perfectly unaffected.

Ingrith slowly dropped her lids, a faint sigh escaping her lips: _goodness_ , she was truly clueless. Adorably so. But really, did she mind in the first place? Her mission would only take longer than she thought. And they happened to have the rest of their lives.

Gathering what was left of her bravery, she opened back her eyes and cleared her throat. She got closer again and leaned into their forced embrace even more. “I can’t stop shivering.”

Maleficent gave another powerful flap of her wings. “Hold on to me, won’t be long now.”

Ingrith almost pouted this time. Couldn’t she just understand that holding on to her was precisely what made her shiver?

As soon as they reached the top layer of cloud, white and thick like a woolen blanket, Ingrith squeezed her eyes into narrow gaps, eager to take in as much as she could from such beautiful sight: the sun was right in front of them, casting warm sunbeams on the white, impalpable surface of the clouds, in a cocoon of blinding, ricocheting light.

She smiled helplessly when she heard the fae moaning softly, her eyes closed as she floated effortlessly standing straight. Suddenly, Ingrith felt her cheeks blush when she felt the bony fingers of Maleficent wrapping around her arms, pulling down and absent-mindedly helping the woman support her own weight. Ingrith moved higher on her back and could look around easier and yet her mind was completely in turmoil, unable to produce one reasonable thought.

“Only once I brought Aurora up here.” Maleficent murmured slowly, eyes still closed. “She’s always found a creature more exciting to chase or seen a place more thrilling to explore and this peaceful place, far from anyone, wouldn’t meet her spirit.”

Ingrith stared at her for a few instants. Was she finally opening up? Was she just telling her things or the fae wanted to finally establish a more complex contact with her? Perhaps she wasn’t just clueless as Ingrith had thought.

“It certainly meets mine, now.” She replied with a smile. “I’m glad you brought me with you.”

“You were getting bored.” Maleficent retorted, her voice even. “And the Moors have still so much to offer.”

Ingrith studied for a moment the part of her face that was accessible to her gaze. If that was her attempt to flirt, well, it was unusual and slightly provoking – just like Maleficent herself.

“I know there are many places I still have to see.” She said, sincerely excited at the idea of exploring those untamed parts of the fair land that Aurora had described. “In fact, I would go anywhere with you.” The woman added, biting the inside of her cheek.

It sounded good and exposing in her head, but somehow the fae’s mind worked differently: she shot her eyes open, her iris glowing of green and gold, and her lips tightened. She tilted her head as far as she could and, despite being so close now that their breaths mingled, Ingrith noticed that the fae was frowning with disappointment. Did she hurt her, somehow?

“I thought you liked the Moors.” Maleficent stated, her voice slightly accusing.

“I – yes. Of course I do.” The other mumbled, only now realizing that, maybe, her words could’ve been mistaken for a desire to leave the fair land. She took a deep breath and forced a smile. “I meant that I’m eager to see everything about your home.”

Maleficent’s glare softened almost immediately. “It is your home too.” She replied and, though those words were able to melt Ingrith’s heart completely, the total lack of emotion told her that she was most certainly not trying to impress her on any level. Let alone flirt.

“Time to descend.” She announced the fae. “We still have to check the borders.”

Ingrith remained silent, striving to keep her eyes open despite the wind hurting her eyes because she didn’t want to miss anything, not even a second of it. When the clouds became shallower and finally disappeared, the Moors appeared beneath them like a breathtaking vision. It was strange and also incredibly reassuring to call it home inside her head, to be part of such beauty and beside – _above_ to be precise – a creature like Maleficent, she truly felt blessed, like she’d never been richer than before.

She let her eyes wander undisturbed on the land, and remained silent for a long time, trying to look for something off, in the impossible case of which Maleficent’s supernatural sight would fail for whatever reason. Now they were soaring lazily above the trees, her body supported by the fae’s, softly swallowing her into a cozy bundle of the feathers of her wings. Yes, her limbs were starting to go numb, but she didn’t really mind. Had she ever been so snug and agitated at the same time in her life?

They flew round and round and after a while, Ingrith couldn’t even separate her anxiety from her impatience; and then, what were they doing, since nothing seemed out of place? Perhaps she was only getting overeager. When would the fae decide to call it a day and finally bring her back to the ground so she could complete the plan? Or embarrassing herself once and for all, that was; well, if that would’ve served the purpose, she wouldn’t need pride anyway.

“Everything seems in place.” She tried hesitantly, clearing her throat. Maleficent nodded but didn’t say anything more. “Got any plans for today?”

The fae hummed, her gaze still locked on the border as she thoroughly inspected some guards walking close to the river. When she decided that the reason was nothing dangerous, she shrugged. “It’s just another day.” She mumbled back dismissively.

Ingrith sighed. It was almost noon now, so perhaps she could take advantage of it and propose something innocent, hoping for it to bloom into something interesting. “I was thinking,” She said, “we could go to the lake and have lunch.”

Maleficent didn’t even flinch at that. On the contrary, she knitted her brow in confusion. “Why the lake? The nymphs don’t make the waters glow during the day.” She pointed out.

That was fair enough. “To the old castle then?”

The fae turned her head to throw an inquiring glare at the woman, who managed to smile innocently at her purely by a great sense of self-preservation. “Why?” She asked grumpily. “We have a perfectly fine table in the cottage. I thought you liked eating while sitting down as a respectable human.”

Ingrith silently gasped at that. It was hard to tell whether she’d said that because she had a point or because she was looking for having lunch with her, as usual, in their cottage. No, her attempts weren’t getting them anywhere and, quite frankly, she was getting frustrated. “I wanted to do something special.” She complained, with a slightly lamenting voice.

Maleficent looked back at her with a blank gaze. “What for?”

“Heavens, you’re impossible!” The other snarled through a sharp sigh. The sudden rise of her voice made Maleficent jerk. “You’re so clueless it’s nerve breaking.”

The fae blinked at her, destabilized. Her red lips moving without producing any sound whatsoever for a solid minute. “What?”

Ingrith rolled her eyes, heart already hammering inside her chest. “Since you won’t get any of my signals I guess I have to take action.” She announced and, bracing herself with courage and even more recklessness, she let go of the leather straps. Before Maleficent could even realize what she was doing, Ingrith pushed herself up and swiftly ducked under one of her wings, hanging from her side with just one arm and leg, loosely wrapped around the fae’s waist.

“What are you doing?” Maleficent protested. “You’ll get us killed!” Finally realizing what was going on, the fae abruptly altered the course and tilted herself up, hitting the top of a tree in the process. The fae internally grumbled, certain that it would leave a bruise or a mark in the least, but didn’t have the time to put her thought into words for her brain was having trouble to process the fact that now, Ingrith, was not on her back anymore, but peacefully settled in her arms, which had found their perfect place on the woman’s waist, granting some needed support.

Maleficent blinked, completely taken aback. How could it feel so surprisingly good, to have the woman’s arms around her neck and her scowling face so close to hers? The fae gasped, trying to make sense out of all that or rather not to make any sense at all and just leave her galloping heart break free. Eventually, however, she couldn’t do anything, for before she knew, Ingrith’s lips crushed against her own and, closing her eyes, Maleficent returned mindlessly the kiss.

* * *

The whole chapter is a massive reference to Grease 2 (1982). Go watch it immediately if you haven’t already because Michelle is really something in that movie. Oh, and I’m proud to say that I share the Stephanie Zinone crush with ms Jolie.

**Author's Note:**

> Excuse my absence! Happy holidays guys, see you next year :)


End file.
